Really liked this VN, (especially Silas, he was reason I decided to give this game a try.), though I have some questions:
1) In terms of how the game will be structured. I am assuming all 5 of the main characters will have their own route? And I am assuming of those only Silas and either Jun or Jake will be romantic in nature?
2) Will this game follow a 'one route until finished starting with Mason > next character' update cycle or will it swap between them until everyone is finished at roughly the same time?
I left a proper review earlier, but I will say in the comments here as well, everything about this story already has me intrigued, the setting is interesting, the current mystery you laid out has me already trying to theorize and speculate.
Then most importantly the cast of characters are already so unique and charming in their own ways, I adore Silas' contrasting personality compared to his outward appearance, Zeke is a wonderful protagonist which can be key to a VN since they are who you see the entire story through the eyes of, and of course I can't forget my beloved Jake, he's already proven to be witty, snarky, funny, and most importantly can be very caring when it matters in his own ways and his dynamic with Zeke is already the cause for so many of my laughs and smiles in just this first build.
I look forward to my next visit to Silverstone with much anticipation till then rest up ya'll deserve it and I can't wait to see what you all continue to cook.
This VN looks promising so far and I look forward to seeing where it goes. The artstyle is great, the nightmare sequence had some excellent writing and the soundtrack and SFX were effective. Just a few criticisms:
Adding sprite expressions should be a priority as the mismatch between the group/character's mood and some of the sprites broke my immersion quite often. If the initial sprites were more neutral in expression this probably wouldn't be as big of an issue, but seeing Mason's goofy grin during a depressing or tense scene is rather off-putting. I can see in the Dev Log that you're already planning to do this and I'd urge you to add them in for the next build because this is probably the most obvious issue right now.
I also had problems with the ending of the nightmare sequence where Zeke meets the Stranger, which is a shame because up until that point I was enjoying the writing. I found it to be rather anti-climactic and instead of enhancing the tension built up to that point it just ended up deflating it prematurely instead. I think the main reason for that was the inconsistencies in the Stranger's characterisation and the dialogue being too lengthy due to unnecessary explanation. The Stranger sounds formal and old-fashioned sometimes but occasionally they speak colloquially and the contrast is jarring. This detracts from the refined yet sinister aura that seems to have been intended. It doesn't help that Zeke's reaction to being manhandled is almost nonexistent. If he had a more pronounced fear response and showed more signs of hesitancy that would have helped portray the Stranger as something to be feared. Alternatively, having some of Zeke's internal narration about how he feels would help achieve the same purpose. Then there's the (over)explanation the Stranger gives in this scene. I don't think they need to be explaining Zeke's dream and it's mechanics, that just lowers the tension of the scene and clashes with the their previous cryptic attitude during the phone call. (As an aside, people don't actually have one long stretch of REM sleep, instead they typically cycle between REM and non-REM). I think it would be better if the Stranger got straight to the point, preferably speaking in a way that matches our first impression of them. Of course, if you deliberately want to present the Stranger differently in this scene then that's your decision but you need to find some way to address the mismatch between the reader's expectations (considering the buildup of tension and dread up to this point) and the new impression you want them to have. Otherwise the scene will be an anti-climax and break the reader's immersion. If I were you I'd completely rewrite this scene after carefully considering the impact I want to have on the reader and how I want to present the Stranger. It's the only instance in the VN where I felt the writing was notably substandard.
Finally, I felt the dialogue could be stronger if the characters' voices were differentiated better. I'd expect a diverse group of characters to have some differences in accent, vocabulary and style of speech but most of the dialogue felt too generic. I wouldn't be able to tell which character was speaking if it wasn't for context and the character tag and that's unfortunate because a unique voice helps characters feel fleshed-out and realistic.
I didn't get the sense they were that old. I figured Jake as being around 28, which would have made him 13 in 2002. That would make the others around 24-26 now if I was reading correctly.
But I do agree that this friend group seems slightly older than a lot of other VN friend groups. Once the individual routes start it'll be great to explore what each of them is doing with their careers.
It's mostly going to be explained later on, but a very brief non-spoilery way is that they found each other again through the internet and created a group chat! It'll be explored a lot more in future builds. Sorry for the confusion!
Oh MAN, what an incredible first build. Being compared to Echo and lauded around as 'Echo 2' is unavoidable given it follows the same setup as "childhood friends return their town that holds dark secrets and things go wrong" but like, so far, this really stands on it's own. I NEED more of this and can't wait to find more abt the plot, the characters and also what the fuck happened in the past.
A few grammar errors, but not enough to take me out of it. Only major complaint from me is that the UI needs a button to hide the UI so I can take screenshots of the beautiful cgs when they show up :)
Glad you're liking it so far! Sorry about the grammar errors. The reason there isn't a hide button on mobile right now is mainly just that it's the first build and I wasn't sure where to put it on the UI. I'll try to have it added (as well as a CG gallery) by the second or third build.
There aren't going to be any sex scenes, but it's labeled 18+ for some of the content in it. Sexual themes will be in the game, but no sex scenes between the characters.
Ok, idk why your limiting some possiblity of your game but whenever reason but it's your choice in the end of the day so yeah I'm still looking forward on this game it have so much potential💕🔥
The sprites look so good I mistakenly expected the Burrows/TSR level of quality. Alas, the sprites rarely move, barely have any variations, and cycle through them so rarely you're basically looking at static images most of the time. These days even the one-shots made for a contest in a week at least wiggle the sprites a little.
Also the antagonist's writing - the speech, the behavior, - is exactly the same as the rest of the slasher movie cast of high-schoolers. It kills the tension quite a bit. The rest of it is killed by the fact the scene is played completely straight. He literally tells you he is a supernatural entity haunting your dreams and he looks like one, no ambiguity. Receiving straight answers so soon in a mystery story feels unearned and falls flat.
Oh, and I'd love to hear what you have to say about the elephant in the room - why are you making a 'Not-Echo' VN in the first place? The comparisons were inevitable, but you made it too easy. Unless you're planning to subvert it in a smart way, the label might stick forever.
We'll be updating the sprites in future updates. It was done like this for monetary reasons since sprites are expensive. Sorry to hear you don't like the antagonist's writing. We'll try to improve it in future updates. Silverstone's conception was mostly inspired by Higurashi, Silent Hill, and Uzumaki. I didn't read Echo until a while later. We knew we'd still get Echo comparisons, though, so we've accepted that.
On the contrary because I cannot believe how unfathomably venomous this comment is in certain sentences, please do refer to the fact that this VN literally released a day ago and will be receiving updates that may medicate your "criticisms" (needlessly toxic wording!) in the future.
Give it the time to receive music and more sprites. Give it the time to grow past a "Not-Echo VN." Give it the time to find its footing and rewrite if needed.
Build One VNs are demos. This comment is like playing Minecraft on May 18th, 2009, and complaining there's nothing to do.
I partly agree with your criticisms but I think they way you expressed them was not very helpful. If you want the developer to improve their work a less hostile tone would be more effective.
Also, I think the comparisons to Echo are unfair given that the similarities are hardly unique or original to Echo. Anyone who's read Stephen King's It knows that the idea of 'a group of friends reuniting in their childhood town where an ancient horror lurks' has been around for decades. In fact, at this stage I'd argue the premise of Echo is more similar to It than Silverstone's is to Echo given the antagonists of Echo and It are both incomprehensible, alien entities feeding on the negative emotions of their town's residents while the Stranger is a more person-like entity with a seemingly specific agenda. Yet no one calls Echo 'It-but-with-furries'. I see no reason why Echo should have a monopoly on this idea in the horror FVN space. The important thing is that the VN distinguishes itself enough from earlier works and I think Silverstone appears to be doing that.
A really strong start, amazing atmosphere, great characters. I was honestly was surprised at how long and dense the first build was, if you had told me that this was on it's second or third build with the amount of story there is to chew on, I'd believe you.
Definitely need to give this a reread, and definitely got to let others know about it.
A spooky lighthouse, a surprisingly charismatic nightmare, and a cute hyena missing some rather important memories lay the groundwork for a promising horror story. Definitely one to watch, congrats to the team on the first build!
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Really liked this VN, (especially Silas, he was reason I decided to give this game a try.), though I have some questions:
1) In terms of how the game will be structured. I am assuming all 5 of the main characters will have their own route? And I am assuming of those only Silas and either Jun or Jake will be romantic in nature?
2) Will this game follow a 'one route until finished starting with Mason > next character' update cycle or will it swap between them until everyone is finished at roughly the same time?
Otherwise, great work!
1. All five will have their own routes! Silas and Jake are the romance routes!
2. One route at a time. This is just so there won't be any continuity errors or anything of that short.
Thanks for trying it out! Glad you liked it :)
Love it!
I left a proper review earlier, but I will say in the comments here as well, everything about this story already has me intrigued, the setting is interesting, the current mystery you laid out has me already trying to theorize and speculate.
Then most importantly the cast of characters are already so unique and charming in their own ways, I adore Silas' contrasting personality compared to his outward appearance, Zeke is a wonderful protagonist which can be key to a VN since they are who you see the entire story through the eyes of, and of course I can't forget my beloved Jake, he's already proven to be witty, snarky, funny, and most importantly can be very caring when it matters in his own ways and his dynamic with Zeke is already the cause for so many of my laughs and smiles in just this first build.
I look forward to my next visit to Silverstone with much anticipation till then rest up ya'll deserve it and I can't wait to see what you all continue to cook.
I am usually not a fan of horror vns but this one definitely piqued my interest and....
Did not disappoint
Love the character designs
Very interesting story so far
And you really hit the nail on the head making some scenes feel so eery and sinister
Can't wait for more!
Also
I really like Jun, he's a very layered character and I can't wait to know more about him!
This VN looks promising so far and I look forward to seeing where it goes. The artstyle is great, the nightmare sequence had some excellent writing and the soundtrack and SFX were effective. Just a few criticisms:
Adding sprite expressions should be a priority as the mismatch between the group/character's mood and some of the sprites broke my immersion quite often. If the initial sprites were more neutral in expression this probably wouldn't be as big of an issue, but seeing Mason's goofy grin during a depressing or tense scene is rather off-putting. I can see in the Dev Log that you're already planning to do this and I'd urge you to add them in for the next build because this is probably the most obvious issue right now.
I also had problems with the ending of the nightmare sequence where Zeke meets the Stranger, which is a shame because up until that point I was enjoying the writing. I found it to be rather anti-climactic and instead of enhancing the tension built up to that point it just ended up deflating it prematurely instead. I think the main reason for that was the inconsistencies in the Stranger's characterisation and the dialogue being too lengthy due to unnecessary explanation. The Stranger sounds formal and old-fashioned sometimes but occasionally they speak colloquially and the contrast is jarring. This detracts from the refined yet sinister aura that seems to have been intended. It doesn't help that Zeke's reaction to being manhandled is almost nonexistent. If he had a more pronounced fear response and showed more signs of hesitancy that would have helped portray the Stranger as something to be feared. Alternatively, having some of Zeke's internal narration about how he feels would help achieve the same purpose. Then there's the (over)explanation the Stranger gives in this scene. I don't think they need to be explaining Zeke's dream and it's mechanics, that just lowers the tension of the scene and clashes with the their previous cryptic attitude during the phone call. (As an aside, people don't actually have one long stretch of REM sleep, instead they typically cycle between REM and non-REM). I think it would be better if the Stranger got straight to the point, preferably speaking in a way that matches our first impression of them. Of course, if you deliberately want to present the Stranger differently in this scene then that's your decision but you need to find some way to address the mismatch between the reader's expectations (considering the buildup of tension and dread up to this point) and the new impression you want them to have. Otherwise the scene will be an anti-climax and break the reader's immersion. If I were you I'd completely rewrite this scene after carefully considering the impact I want to have on the reader and how I want to present the Stranger. It's the only instance in the VN where I felt the writing was notably substandard.
Finally, I felt the dialogue could be stronger if the characters' voices were differentiated better. I'd expect a diverse group of characters to have some differences in accent, vocabulary and style of speech but most of the dialogue felt too generic. I wouldn't be able to tell which character was speaking if it wasn't for context and the character tag and that's unfortunate because a unique voice helps characters feel fleshed-out and realistic.
I didn't get the sense they were that old. I figured Jake as being around 28, which would have made him 13 in 2002. That would make the others around 24-26 now if I was reading correctly.
But I do agree that this friend group seems slightly older than a lot of other VN friend groups. Once the individual routes start it'll be great to explore what each of them is doing with their careers.
Hey, Silverstone takes place in the summer of 2017! The cast are all between the ages of 22-25, with Jake being the oldest! Thanks for the feedback :)
It's mostly going to be explained later on, but a very brief non-spoilery way is that they found each other again through the internet and created a group chat! It'll be explored a lot more in future builds. Sorry for the confusion!
Is there any visual update of the characters in future update? Actually I don't find appealing some of the characters
Oh MAN, what an incredible first build. Being compared to Echo and lauded around as 'Echo 2' is unavoidable given it follows the same setup as "childhood friends return their town that holds dark secrets and things go wrong" but like, so far, this really stands on it's own. I NEED more of this and can't wait to find more abt the plot, the characters and also what the fuck happened in the past.
A few grammar errors, but not enough to take me out of it. Only major complaint from me is that the UI needs a button to hide the UI so I can take screenshots of the beautiful cgs when they show up :)
Glad you're liking it so far! Sorry about the grammar errors. The reason there isn't a hide button on mobile right now is mainly just that it's the first build and I wasn't sure where to put it on the UI. I'll try to have it added (as well as a CG gallery) by the second or third build.
Is this 18+ NSFW?
There aren't going to be any sex scenes, but it's labeled 18+ for some of the content in it. Sexual themes will be in the game, but no sex scenes between the characters.
I notice there's also a romance tag too, is there going to be romanceable routes?
Two romance routes, yes!
oh interesting only two, well hopefully jake is one cause i definitely loved their dynamic🙏
I have to second this opinion Jake is amazing so far
Ok, idk why your limiting some possiblity of your game but whenever reason but it's your choice in the end of the day so yeah I'm still looking forward on this game it have so much potential💕🔥
The sprites look so good I mistakenly expected the Burrows/TSR level of quality. Alas, the sprites rarely move, barely have any variations, and cycle through them so rarely you're basically looking at static images most of the time. These days even the one-shots made for a contest in a week at least wiggle the sprites a little.
Also the antagonist's writing - the speech, the behavior, - is exactly the same as the rest of the slasher movie cast of high-schoolers. It kills the tension quite a bit. The rest of it is killed by the fact the scene is played completely straight. He literally tells you he is a supernatural entity haunting your dreams and he looks like one, no ambiguity. Receiving straight answers so soon in a mystery story feels unearned and falls flat.
Oh, and I'd love to hear what you have to say about the elephant in the room - why are you making a 'Not-Echo' VN in the first place? The comparisons were inevitable, but you made it too easy. Unless you're planning to subvert it in a smart way, the label might stick forever.
We'll be updating the sprites in future updates. It was done like this for monetary reasons since sprites are expensive. Sorry to hear you don't like the antagonist's writing. We'll try to improve it in future updates. Silverstone's conception was mostly inspired by Higurashi, Silent Hill, and Uzumaki. I didn't read Echo until a while later. We knew we'd still get Echo comparisons, though, so we've accepted that.
On the contrary because I cannot believe how unfathomably venomous this comment is in certain sentences, please do refer to the fact that this VN literally released a day ago and will be receiving updates that may medicate your "criticisms" (needlessly toxic wording!) in the future.
Give it the time to receive music and more sprites. Give it the time to grow past a "Not-Echo VN." Give it the time to find its footing and rewrite if needed.
Build One VNs are demos. This comment is like playing Minecraft on May 18th, 2009, and complaining there's nothing to do.
I partly agree with your criticisms but I think they way you expressed them was not very helpful. If you want the developer to improve their work a less hostile tone would be more effective.
Also, I think the comparisons to Echo are unfair given that the similarities are hardly unique or original to Echo. Anyone who's read Stephen King's It knows that the idea of 'a group of friends reuniting in their childhood town where an ancient horror lurks' has been around for decades. In fact, at this stage I'd argue the premise of Echo is more similar to It than Silverstone's is to Echo given the antagonists of Echo and It are both incomprehensible, alien entities feeding on the negative emotions of their town's residents while the Stranger is a more person-like entity with a seemingly specific agenda. Yet no one calls Echo 'It-but-with-furries'. I see no reason why Echo should have a monopoly on this idea in the horror FVN space. The important thing is that the VN distinguishes itself enough from earlier works and I think Silverstone appears to be doing that.
❤️🔥🖤🔥
Surprisingly long for a first build. Wonderful cast of characters. Jake is my favorite character right now. 🦝 Can't wait to read more.
a fellow Jake fan I agree with your tastes
Fantastic first build so far!
Cannot wait to see what happens next!
Wow this is really good so far, really cant wait to see this story go on
A really strong start, amazing atmosphere, great characters. I was honestly was surprised at how long and dense the first build was, if you had told me that this was on it's second or third build with the amount of story there is to chew on, I'd believe you.
Definitely need to give this a reread, and definitely got to let others know about it.
I look forward to your future work 💙
A spooky lighthouse, a surprisingly charismatic nightmare, and a cute hyena missing some rather important memories lay the groundwork for a promising horror story. Definitely one to watch, congrats to the team on the first build!
Really good I love it so far I really hope the raccoon is bisexual keep up the good work brick brick and the rest of the team
He's pan! Thanks for the support!
Oooh new Vn i consider to read this.. Hhe
Q:
We change the MC name?
The main character name is changeable, no. I hope you read regardless!
One of the first FVNs of the year! Congrats on the first build!
Thank you so much! I hope you look forward to the future builds! 😊